Navyvet1

Ok so heres the deal, I'm 23, still really haven't figured out what i'm doing yet. I was in the navy 4 years and now i'm working for jet aviation as a line service tech...though i havnt started yet. I'm trying to decide if i should go to school to get my commercial pilots license or not. I mean i've always wanted to be a pilot but the family thing kinda changed my mind back in the day but i get mixed feedback on how family life is.
The first thing is how's the pay? The school i would probably go to is for a b.s. in aviation operations (33,000 yr. including flight training) so by the time i'm done, i'm sure i'll have atleast some loans for what grants and gibill dont cover. I dont really want to spend that much money and find out that i cant pay any bills with the money i would be making. The good thing is that school hires 80% of their graduates to be flight instructors to gain flight hours.
The next thing is how is the family life? I mean my girlfriend i'm with now waited 6 months for me to get out of the navy only seeing her on the weekends...and not all weekends either. So it may not be that big of problem, but when i do eventually get married and have kids, i dont want to never be home and my kids not know who i am! i kinda doubt its that bad (though it does happen in the military).
So basically is it worth the money if you want it bad enough or should i save my money and get a degree in something else.

coolyokeluke

Well you opened up a never-ending-debate-can-of-worms. I spent ten years in the Navy myself. The answer to your question is....it depends. If you're going to do this career, as a pilot, you need to have an understanding and independent significant other. Divorce rates in this industry are probably as high as in the Navy because of non-understanding non-independent significant others.
As far as a degree, my humble opinion is to get a degree in something other than aviation. This is a fickle, cyclical industry and it's smart to have a back up plan. Do not go to an expensive flight school or university. Employers really don't make that big of a differentiation between bachelor's degree programs (unless you go to an Ivy league school) and the flight certificates/ratings you get at your local FBO are every bit as valid as the ones at an expensive school. You will need to have a low overhead if you're going to survive the initial years of poverty in this industry.
Pay rates vary widely. You could google airline pay and see some rates. A basic rule of thumb is to take the hourly rate and add three zeroes and that should give you an approximate of annual pay. Figure on 5-10 years before you're going to make a livable family wage.
Good luck with your decision.

optimus_prime

Take what he said and multiply it by 100,000 and that's what will be the response you will get from all the career pilots that are out there including myself.

interested

the thing you need to understand is that although your kids will know who you are, and eventually you would be able to provide well for them, it is tremendously difficult being gone as much as you are and then truly being part of what goes on at home and at school for them. When you get home from a 3 or 4 day, so much has happened that you are detached from it. Not to mention how this schedule throws off any consistent parenting between you and your spouse because its hard to stay on the same page being gone this much. Some make it work.. but its not easy. If family is important to you, reconsider this career.

av8ercricket

If you have the bug to fly, it won't go away. Find a local FBO and get you pilots license ASAP. Flight School Universities are too expensive for what you get out of it, save the money at a local FBO. As per the family, only if the signifigant other is supportive, if not reconsider her. After you get your foot in the door flying for a regional or who ever, it gets easier after a few years, just start networking. Besides the airlines that are unstable, there are corporate gigs that maybe also what you are looking for, and or local companies that just go out and back in a day. After being hired by the airlines in early 2001 and furloughed after 9-11, my friend got on w/ Flight Ops. When the airlined called him back, he did go back and upgraded in late 2004. Would have been sooner if not for 9-11. Now he decided to change a little and he works local at the FAA FSDO office and is home every night. Get the license, then perhaps get a bachelors on line, there are grants for low income families to finish your degree, I did and it worked out great and saved me Thousands! Embry-Riddle on line for example.